Department for Transport

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency: Correspondence

Lord Naseby: To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Drivers Medical Group of the DVLA have a target to respond to letters from the general public; and if not, whether they will consider introducing a 30 day response target.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency aims to respond to 95 per cent of correspondence from the general public within ten working days.

Roads: Brent

Baroness Randerson: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Vere of Norbitonon 21 October (HL2609), and given the recent heavy vehicle restrictions imposed for vehicles exceeding 7.5 tonnes on the Brent Cross flyover, whether there will be extra financial assistance for that project in addition to funds received as part of the 31 Major Road Network projects; and if so, how much.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: Brent Cross Flyover is the responsibility of Transport for London (TfL). TfL will need to submit a business case to the Department if they would like this scheme to be considered under the Major Route Network programme which will be considered in the usual way

Driving Licences: Kosovo

Lord Bowness: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Vere of Norbiton on 25 May (HL295), what progress the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency has made following the request from the Embassy of Kosovo regarding a reciprocal driving licence exchange between the UK and Kosovo.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: A full assessment of the licensing and testing information provided by the Kosovan authorities has been concluded and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency is satisfied that the required standards have been met. While the department is progressing the work required to achieve an exchange agreement as quickly as possible, it is subject to public consultation and the introduction of domestic legislation.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Mathematics: Research

Lord Clement-Jones: To ask His Majesty's Government what is the estimated timetable for allocating the remaining £176m in additional funding for the mathematical sciences that they announced in January 2020.

Lord Callanan: Following the Government announcement to invest additional funding into mathematical sciences, BEIS published its funding allocations for UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) in May 2022. The total UKRI allocation as published was £25.1 billion for 2022-25, providing UKRI and its constituent councils with the funding needed to deliver world class research and innovation, including in the Mathematical Sciences. The Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council’s core funding for Mathematical Sciences will continue at the level of circa £25-30 million per annum for grants, fellowships, and studentships. This is alongside the £124 million Additional Funding Programme for Mathematical Sciences funding provided to support activities that have been started to date. UKRI will seek further opportunities to support mathematical research as it establishes a portfolio of investments.

Tidal Power

Baroness Whitaker: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to The OffshoreRenewable Energy Catapult’s reportCost Reduction Pathway of Tidal Stream Energy in the UK and France, published on 17 October, whether they will set a 2030 target for tidalstream energy as they have done for offshore wind, nuclear and hydrogen production.

Lord Callanan: The Government welcomes the Catapult’s report and will continue to work with the sector to promote deployment of tidal energy where feasible. Over 40MW of new tidal stream power has been secured in Scotland and Wales via the Contracts for Difference scheme this year. This was the first time that tidal stream power has been procured at this scale.

Tidal Power: Finance

Baroness Whitaker: To ask His Majesty's Government, furtherto The OffshoreRenewable Energy Catapult’s reportCost Reduction Pathway of Tidal Stream Energy in the UK and France, published on 17 October, whether they will keep a ringfenced amountof generation of tidal stream energy in upcoming Contracts for Difference auctions.

Lord Callanan: The Government is currently developing auction parameters for Allocation Round 5 of the Contracts for Difference scheme, including any for tidal stream, taking into account evidence of the pipeline of available projects. The Government will publish details of these parameters ahead of the round opening in March 2023.

Tidal Power: Wind Power

Baroness Whitaker: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to The OffshoreRenewable Energy Catapult’s report Cost Reduction Pathway of Tidal Stream Energy in the UK and France, published on 17 October, whether they plan to extend the proposed streamlining of planning legislation for offshore wind to tidal stream energy.

Lord Callanan: The energy National Policy Statements are being updated to include Tidal Stream generation. Details will be published in due course with an annex for Tidal Range which indicates what a well-developed project proposal entails, to aid developers in their planning process.

KPMG: Silentnight

Lord Sikka: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Callanan on 4 July (HL1456) in which he said that “it was not in the public interest to commence a criminal investigation” against KPMG for the Silentnight insolvency, whether they will now publish the legal advice upon which that answer was based.

Lord Callanan: The legal advice is subject to legal professional privilege and therefore it is not appropriate to publish it.

Strike Ballots: Internet

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the (1) use, and (2) potential, of online voting in ballots to decide industrial action.

Lord Callanan: The Government previously commissioned Sir Ken Knight, the former Chief Fire and Rescue Adviser for England, to lead an independent review of electronic voting for industrial action ballots. The Government is considering the review recommendations and will respond in due course.

Energy: Standing Charges

Lord Goddard of Stockport: To ask His Majesty's Government what directions they intend to give Ofgem to reduce or abolish standing charges, to ease the financial burden on consumers, particularly the poorest.

Lord Callanan: Ofgem is an independent regulator and is directly accountable to Parliament. There are no plans to give directions to Ofgem to change the approach to standing charges.

Council for British Research in the Levant: Finance

Lord Austin of Dudley: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to reconsider their funding of the Council for British Research in the Levant, given that Council’s decision to arrange a seminar by Dr Salman Abu Sitta at Edinburgh University on 8 November.

Lord Callanan: The Government does not directly fund or have a relationship with the Council for British Research in the Levant (CBRL). The Government only has a funding relationship with the independent British Academy, who in turn fund hundreds of researchers across the humanities and social sciences, as well as eight British International Research Institutes (BIRI), including the CBRL. These connect researchers and support world-leading research. They are independent organisations, overseen by Boards of Trustees. However, the Academy undertakes regular reporting, evaluation and monitoring of their funding through which issues can be raised or assurances sought on any aspect of delivery.

Small Businesses: Employment and Energy

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effects of rising (1) energy, and (2) staff, costs on small businesses.

Lord Callanan: The costs of gas and electricity is forecast to remain high, and many small businesses are experiencing increased energy bills. The government is taking action by intervening in the energy market to support non-domestic consumers including small businesses.   The Energy Bill Relief Scheme will provide a price reduction to ensure that all eligible businesses and other non-domestic customers are protected from excessively high energy bills over the winter period.

Northern Ireland Office

Northern Ireland Government

Lord Empey: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made ofthe casefor the establishment of joint authority over Northern Ireland by the UK and the government of the Republic of Ireland.

Lord Caine: Joint authority is not and will not be considered by this Government. As we set out clearly in our Northern Ireland manifesto at the 2019 General Election, the consent principle in the 1998 Belfast Agreement governs the constitutional position of Northern Ireland. On that basis, Northern Ireland remains an integral part of the United Kingdom. The manifesto said: “A Conservative Government will always defend and uphold the consent principle as set out in the Belfast Agreement and we will never agree to any arrangements that are inconsistent with it”. Our manifesto also set out our commitment to the long-established three-stranded approach to Northern Ireland affairs, under which internal, Strand One, matters are for the Northern Ireland parties and the United Kingdom government ultimately to decide. We will continue to stand by these manifesto commitments.

Department of Health and Social Care

Wheelchairs

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will require the NHS to ensure that there is high level responsibility held by a named individual within the NHS for commissioning wheelchair and postural seating services throughout England.

Lord Markham: There are no plans to do so. NHS England determines policy and strategy for integrated care boards (ICBs), with the Director of Personalised Care and Community Services having responsibility for wheelchair services. ICBs are responsible for commissioning and ensuring healthcare needs of local communities are met and providers are required to ensure statutory responsibilities are met for the delivery of safe, effective, efficient, high quality services.

IVF

Lord Winston: To ask His Majesty's Government how many women have had their eggs (oocytes) frozen in each year between 2014 and 2019.

Lord Markham: The following table shows the number of patients storing their own eggs in each year from 2014 to 2019.Year of treatmentNumber of patients2014611201590620161,06420171,20920181,59520191,937 Source: The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA)Note:The data is as shown on the HFEA’s register database on 21 October 2022. This is a live database so these figures reflect the data on this day are likely to change over time. Data shown includes patients storing their eggs for future use.

IVF

Lord Winston: To ask His Majesty's Government what provisions they have in place to ensure that children who were conceived following in vitro fertilisation, following oocyte freezing, receive medical follow up.

Lord Markham: The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has no statutory role in the medical follow up for children conceived through in vitro fertilisation, including instances where thawed eggs are used in treatment. The HFEA’s expert Scientific and Clinical Advances Advisory Committee monitors new studies relating to assisted reproductive technologies, including any impact on children born from treatments. This can lead the HFEA to recommend new information for patients regarding the risks of any treatment.

Healthy Start Scheme: Telephone Services

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: To ask His Majesty's Government how many calls have been made to the Healthy Start helpline in each of the most recent six months for which data are available.

Lord Markham: The information requested is shown in the following table. MonthNumber of callsSeptember 2022322,351August 2022334,180July 2022297,852June 2022372,036May 2022426,480April 2022215,358

Healthy Start Scheme: Telephone Services

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: To ask His Majesty's Government how many calls to the Healthy Start helpline have gone unanswered, due to lines being busy, in each of the most recent six months for which data are available.

Lord Markham: The information requested is not held centrally.

Healthy Start Scheme

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: To ask His Majesty's Government whether (1) ministers, or (2) officials, have held discussions with Mastercard to address issues relating to Healthy Start prepaid cards which may prevent the introduction of an automatic registration scheme among eligible families.

Lord Markham: There have been no specific discussions.

Healthy Start Scheme

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: To ask His Majesty's Government how many recipients of Healthy Start vouchers are not in receipt of prepaid cards despite remaining eligible for the scheme.

Lord Markham: The NHS Business Services Authority estimates that as of 18 October 2022, there were 2,954 households previously were in receipt of paper vouchers which have not successfully applied to the NHS Healthy Start prepaid card scheme.

Infectious Diseases: Laboratories

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by researchers at the University of Cambridge, Preparing for the next pandemic: reserve laboratory staff are crucial, published on 27 September, which recommends that a system of reservist lab scientists should be set up to provide surge capacity to support the response to future outbreaks of infectious disease.

Lord Markham: The UK Health Security Agency is the permanent standing capacity to prepare for, prevent and respond to threats to health. The Centre for Pandemic Preparedness within the UKHSA, will work with the Department and NHS England to ensure the United Kingdom is protected against future health threats.The UKHSA has specialist staff, including laboratory-based staff in specialities such as epidemiology, genomics, microbiology, toxicology and other areas. A workforce model, including a register of reserves, is under development with other measures to ensure sufficient expertise is available to deploy on an emergency basis.

Abortion: Northern Ireland

Baroness Hoey: To ask His Majesty's Government how many women from Northern Ireland had abortions in England and Wales in 2021; what was the percentage change in this figure between 2020 and 2021; and how many of the abortions for women from Northern Ireland that were carried out in England were (1) surgical, and (2) through the prescription of pills.

Lord Markham: This information is not collected in the format requested. However, in 2021, there were 161 abortions involving women from Northern Ireland in England and Wales. This represents a decrease of 56.6% between 2020 and 2021. In 2021, 132 abortions for women from Northern Ireland carried out in England were surgical and 29 abortions were medical.

Social Services: Finance

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government how much funding they allocated for adult social care for 2021-22.

Lord Markham: In 2021/22, local authorities’ expenditure on adult social care was £21.4 billion.

Respiratory System: Infectious Diseases

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to NHS England warning that up to half of hospital beds could be occupied by people with respiratory infections this winter, what steps they expect NHS Boards to take to respond to this challenge.

Lord Markham: For winter 2022/23, the National Health Service is increasing bed capacity by the equivalent of at least 7,000 general and acute beds, including a combination of new physical beds and expanding the use of innovative virtual wards to treat patients safely at home. We are also establishing a £500 million Adult Social Care Discharge Fund to ensure that medically fit patients can be discharged, which will increase bed capacity and reduce long waiting times in accident and emergency.

Artificial Sweeteners

Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for promoting the use of Stevia as an alternative to processed sugar.

Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe: To ask His Majesty's Government what further steps they will take to encourage the greater use of Stevia in food and drink as a replacement for processed sugar.

Lord Markham: No specific assessment has been made. The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities is aware that some businesses use artificial or other non-caloric sweeteners, including Stevia, to lower the sugar content of their products. It is an individual business decision to decide if and how the product is used, subject to legislation.

Doctors: Private Sector

Lord Crisp: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports by the BBC on 10 October that doctors are being recruited illegally from Africa by private sector companies to work in the UK; and that such doctors areexpected to work in private hospitals under conditions not allowed in the NHS.

Lord Markham: No specific assessment has been made. All United Kingdom-based organisations recruiting and employing international doctors should follow the Code of Practice on Ethical International Recruitment. The Code includes a ‘red-list’ of countries from which health and care workers should not be actively recruited.National Health Service organisations only use recruiters on the Ethical Recruiters List and breaching the Code may result in removal from the Ethical Recruiters List. All employers must abide by the legislation regarding workers’ rights in the UK.

Evusheld

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask His Majesty's Government whatconsultation process took place which led to the decision by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and the Chief Medical Officer not to pursue procurement of Evusheld; whether they will publish minutes of the meeting where this decision was made; and who attended that meeting.

Lord Markham: The decision not to procure Evusheld at this time for prevention through emergency routes is based on independent clinical advice by the multi-agency RAPID C-19 and a national expert policy working group. The decision is based on a range of evidence, including clinical trial data, in vitro analysis and emerging observational studies. RAPID C-19 monitors activity in clinical trials for emerging evidence and where treatments are proven to be clinically effective, enables access for National Health Service patients. The Chief Medical Officer for England is content that the correct process for providing clinical advice has been followed and it has now been referred to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for further evaluation.The RAPID C-19 Oversight Group’s report on its decision-making process was published on 6 October in an online only format. It concluded that the quality of data is insufficient to progress to patient access before the completion of NICE’s technology appraisal, which will determine the drug’s clinical and cost-effectiveness. The Department does not hold the minutes or a list of attendees from the meetings in which this decision was made, as RAPID C-19 is an independent advisory group.

General Practitioners: Standards

Lord Birt: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness and timeliness of the patient care offered by GP practices.

Lord Markham: While no formal assessment has been made, the National Health Service has a statutory duty to ensure there are sufficient medical services, including in general practice, in each local area. In addition, as the independent regulator of health and social care the Care Quality Commission assesses the overall quality of individual practices.As announced in ‘Our plan for patients’ on 22 September 2022, the Government expects that patients who need an appointment with their practice within two weeks should receive one and patients with urgent needs should be seen on the same day. We also expect local integrated care boards to intervene where services need to be improved.

Bone Diseases: Mental Health Services and Social Services

Baroness Merron: To ask His Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of the provision of psychological and social care support for people with rare bone conditions.

Baroness Merron: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to address any regional disparities in the provision of psychological and social care support for people with rare bone conditions.

Lord Markham: No recent assessment has been made. However, care for patients with rare bone conditions are addressed through the specialised rheumatology service specification, which requires clinical psychologists to be provided as a core component of a multi-disciplinary team.Local commissioners are responsible for the provision of services to meet the needs of the local population. Local authorities are responsible for assessing an individual’s eligibility for care and support, as set out in the Care Act 2014. Where a person is assessed as having eligible care and support needs, the local authority should undertake a financial assessment. Where individuals are not eligible for financial support, local authorities will support them, should they require assistance, to make arrangements for care services.

School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: To ask His Majesty's Government whatassessment they have made of the potential merits of enabling local or regional authorities to influence or control the allocation of School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme budgets for their area.

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: To ask His Majesty's Government whatconsideration they have given to reforming the School Fruit and Vegetable scheme (1) to strengthen local procurement strategies, and (2) to enhance the supply of (a) seasonal, or (b) organic, produce to schools.

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: To ask His Majesty's Government whatconsideration they have given to enabling local authorities to have a role, on an initial pilot basis, in allocatingfunding from the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme in their area.

Lord Markham: The School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme is operated by the Department. There has been no assessment of a role for local or regional authorities in the Scheme or reforms to strengthen local procurement strategies. Seasonal produce is used in the Scheme and organic produce may be used.

Wheelchairs

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by Frontier Economics, commissioned by Motability and The Wheelchair AllianceAn Economic Assessment of Wheelchair Provision in England, published on 6 May.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they aretaking to reduce the regional variation in (1) quality, and (2) provision, of NHS wheelchair services, identified by Frontier Economics in their report An Economic Assessment of Wheelchair Provision in England, published on 6 May.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they aretaking to reduce the delays in people receiving (1) timely intervention, and (2) wheelchair equipment, identified in the report by Frontier Economics and commissioned by Motability and the Wheelchair AllianceAn Economic Assessment of Wheelchair Provision in England, published on 6 May.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking toimprove the information given to users of wheelchair services as to (1) how, and (2) where, to (a) access services, and to (b) report feedback and concerns, as identified in the report by Frontier Economics, commissioned by Motability and the Wheelchair AllianceAn EconomicAssessment of WheelchairProvision in England,published on 6 May.

Lord Markham: NHS England has assessed the report by Frontier Economics and has compared the findings to existing policy and data requirements for wheelchair provision for integrated care boards (ICBs). ICBs are responsible for commissioning and providing wheelchair services for local populations, supported by NHS England. NHS England has established a national wheelchair dataset which reviews waiting times during care pathways to enable targeted action if improvements are required. It has also developed a wheelchair currency model for providers, commissioners and systems to understand complexities in patient populations and support commissioning using the currencies as an evidence base. The model also supports benchmarking across localities and nationally.NHS England’s service specification for wheelchair services enables ICBs to review and improve local wheelchair services and the introduction of personal wheelchair budgets and legal rights offers a framework to commission personalised and integrated wheelchair services. ICBs are responsible for providing information on local provision of wheelchair services and providers have a responsibility to ensure that users can provide feedback and or raise concerns.

Bone Diseases: Health Services

Baroness Merron: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the waiting times faced by people with rare bone conditions in accessing multidisciplinary specialist care.

Lord Markham: No specific assessment has been made.

Department for Education

Schools

Baroness Whitaker: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to proceed with thepoliciesin Part 3 (school attendance) and Part 4 (independent educational institutions) of the Schools Bill.

Baroness Whitaker: To ask His Majesty's Government whether the provisions in Part 4 of the Schools Bill (independent educational institutions) remains their policy.

Baroness Barran: The department’s position on the Schools Bill will be confirmed in due course. The policies support the department’s objective of ensuring that all children receive a safe and suitable education, and the department remains fully committed to taking forward these measures, including through legislation where this is necessary.Part 3 of the Schools Bill would place a duty on local authorities in England to establish and maintain Children Not in School registers, to provide support to home educators when requested, and update the process for School Attendance Orders to improve efficacy. Part 3 also includes measures on school attendance, which would place the Department’s recently published school attendance guidance ‘Working together to improve school attendance’ on a statutory footing, introduce a national framework for the issuing of fixed penalty notices pertaining to attendance, and bring consistency in how all state funded schools grant leaves of absence in extenuating circumstances.Part 4 of the Schools Bill seeks to improve safeguarding for children who do not attend state funded schools. It would extend the school registration requirement so that all settings serving children of compulsory school age full time are required to provide a safe and suitably broad education. It strengthens the powers allowing Ofsted and the Department to investigate and take action against illegal unregistered schools. It would also improve the regulation of registered independent schools by ensuring that school registrations correctly reflect each schools safe capacity, age range and other characteristics, and includes measures to improve enforcement powers to better address the needs of children at failing and unsafe schools.

History: Curriculum

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that black history is taught in schools and becomes part of the broader curriculum.

Baroness Barran: As part of a broad and balanced curriculum, pupils should be taught about different societies, and how different groups have contributed to the development of Britain, and this can include the voices and experience of black people. The flexibility in the history curriculum means that teachers can include black history as a natural part of the themes and eras in the curriculum both in terms of British and world history, and their interconnection. For example, at key stage 1, schools can teach about the lives of key black historical figures, and at key stage 2, schools can embed teaching about black history appropriately when teaching these historical periods. Additionally there is a requirement to teach a study of a non-European society. The example provided by the department is Benin, West Africa, c. AD 900-1300. At key stage 3, schools can cover the development and end of the British Empire and Britain’s transatlantic slave trade, its effects and eventual abolition.We are also developing a Model History Curriculum to support teaching a knowledge-rich, well-sequenced history curriculum which reflects diversity in history.The teaching of black history need not be limited to these examples. There is scope to include black history and experience in other national curriculum subjects such as English and citizenship, and in the non-statutory subject personal, social, health and economics (PSHE) education.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Russia: Ukraine

The Lord Bishop of Leeds: To ask His Majesty's Government what (1) financial, and (2) technical, assistance they are providing the government of Ukraine to repair (a) power plants, and (b) infrastructure, destroyed by Russia’s aerial assault.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK is a leading donor in support of Ukraine, with support totalling approximately £3.8 billion. To date, that assistance includes £22 million of support in the energy sector: £7 million for over 850 generators to ensure vital facilities, such as hospitals, have power; £10 million to the Energy Community's support fund to help Ukraine's efforts to repair infrastructure and reconnect households and key facilities to electricity and gas supply; and £5 million for safety and security equipment for the civil nuclear sector.

Colombia: Peace Negotiations

Lord Alderdice: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking as penholder for Colombia in the United Nations Security Council to monitor and support the progress of the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK has been working with Mexico as co-penholder to renew the mandate of the UN Verification Mission in Colombia. I am pleased to confirm that this new mandate was adopted on 27 October 2022. I would also refer colleagues to the press statement we negotiated last week: https://colombia.unmissions.org/en/security-council-press-statement-colombia-11. The UK will continue to be one of the strongest supporters and promoters of the implementation of the 2016 Peace Agreement.

Colombia: Peace Negotiations

Lord Alderdice: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to support the implementation of the 2016 peace agreement in Colombia since the election of President Gustavo Petro.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK has been a leading international advocate of Colombia's peace process. Supporting the Colombian Government in its commitment to implement the 2016 Peace Accords remains a top priority. We are proud to lead on the peace process at the UN Security Council, and are the second largest UN Trust Fund donor.

Gustavo Petro

Lord Alderdice: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the view espoused by President Gustavo Petro of Colombia that the 'war on drugs' has failed and that a new strategy, potentially involving legalisation, is required.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: It is estimated that the drugs trade costs the UK £22 billion per year. The UK's ten-year plan to combat illicit drugs recognises that the effective control of these substances is a crucial tool in mitigating the harm that they cause, alongside preventing their misuse and supporting people with drug addiction in finding a route to recovery. We are committed to working bilaterally with international partners, including Colombia, to disrupt the supply chains that feed European and UK markets and we are firmly committed to our international obligations under the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs.

Gustavo Petro

Lord Alderdice: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support President Gustavo Petro of Colombia in his attempts to negotiate with the remaining armed groups who were not part of the 2016 agreement.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK Government has spent over £69 million to support the implementation of the peace agreement in Colombia. We are committed to continuing to offer firm and active support for peace in Colombia, both the implementation of the 2016 Peace Agreement and the current administration's ambition to achieve a more comprehensive and lasting peace across the whole of Colombia.Our funding is supporting the Colombian Government's rural development and reintegration programmes, transitional justice mechanisms, and strengthening the security and participation of the communities in conflict-affected areas. Significant progress has been made on peace and security in Colombia. Through our Conflict, Stability, and Security Fund programme, we will continue to support programmes that help to protect former FARC combatants and other groups affected by violence.

Philippines: Journalism

Lord Hylton: To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they are making to the government of the Philippines about (1) the recent murders of radio journalists Percival Mabasa in Manila and Renato Blanco in Negros Oriental, and (2) the harassing of other journalists by accusations of criminal libel,including Maria Ressa and Alex Bialiatski; and if they are making no such representations, why not.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK promotes media freedom in the Philippines, and urges the Philippine authorities to investigate reports of harassment and crimes against journalists. With the Media Freedom Coalition, we have commented publicly on press freedom in the Philippines, including charges against Rappler Chief Executive Officer Maria Ressa, and the killing of Percival Mabasa. On 26 October, the British Ambassador called for those responsible for Percival Mabasa's death to be brought to justice. We raise human rights regularly with the Government of the Philippines. The British Ambassador raised this with the Executive Secretary on 19 October 2022. The former Foreign Secretary raised this in November 2021.

Israel: Embassies

The Lord Bishop of Southwark: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 28 September (HL 2252), what plans they have to review the location of the British Embassy in Israel; and what steps they are taking as part of any such review to consult relevant civil society organisations, non-government organisations and faith communities.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: There are no plans to move the UK embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv. Israel is a close friend and key strategic partner, built on decades of cooperation. We will continue to strengthen our relationship with Israel through our Embassy in Tel Aviv.

Russia: Ukraine

The Lord Bishop of Leeds: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessmentthey have made (1) of Russia’s destruction of Ukraine’s power infrastructure, and (2) of the prospects of further large-scale refugee flows from Ukraine.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK condemns Russia's intentional bombing of Ukraine's civilian energy infrastructure, which is causing widespread destruction. Russia's new wave of bombardments has deliberately targeted critical national infrastructure, leaving as much as thirty per cent of Ukraine's power stations damaged or destroyed. These Russian attacks are also killing innocent Ukrainian civilians, disproportionately affecting vulnerable groups, and could constitute a breach of international humanitarian law. They are further exacerbating the humanitarian crisis Putin's war has created, with over six million people displaced within Ukraine and over seven million Ukrainians registered as refugees in Europe.

Armed Conflict and War Crimes

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks byLord Goldsmith of Richmond Park on 6 June (HL Deb col 1027), whether the new conflict and atrocity prevention hub has been established in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks byLord Goldsmith of Richmond Park on 6 June (HL Deb col 1027), whether the new conflict and atrocity prevention hub includes individuals from outside the civil service and government.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The FCDO has created a dedicated department for conflict and atrocity prevention within the Office for Conflict, Stabilisation and Mediation. The department houses the Mass Atrocity Prevention Hub which works to improve the UK's ability to prevent and respond to atrocities in conflict and non-conflict contexts. The department works closely with other Government departments, and draws on expertise from external partners, including other States and civil society organisations.

Iran: Baha'i Faith

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports of the detention and arrest of members of the Baha’i community in Iran this year; and what information they have, if any, about the rates of arrest of Baha’is in that country from July to September this year.

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to encourage the government of Iran to release Baha’is who have been detained on grounds of their religious convictions.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Baha'i community in Iran is systematically discriminated against, harassed and targeted by the authorities. Reports indicate that the Iranian Government has this year redoubled repressive efforts against the Baha'i community, with expropriation and repossession of land, destruction of homes and increasing detention of members of the community. As the FCDO Minister responsible for Human Rights, I [Lord Ahmad] said on 5 August: persecution of religious minorities is a serious human rights violation and cannot be tolerated in 2022. We reiterated our commitment to holding Iran to account at a Westminster Hall debate on 11 October. We continue to raise human rights with the Iranian Government at all appropriate opportunities.

Ministry of Defence

Ukraine: Military Aid

The Lord Bishop of Leeds: To ask His Majesty's Government whatmilitary assistance they are providing to the government of Ukraine to protect Ukraine’s (1) power plants, and (2) infrastructure, from Russian attack.

Baroness Goldie: The UK remains committed to providing military assistance to Ukraine to defend its sovereignty from Russia's illegal and unprovoked invasion.So far, we have provided a variety of air defence systems, including Stormer vehicles fitted with Starstreak launchers, and hundreds of missiles for air defence systems. These missiles are helping to protect Ukraine's critical national infrastructure, including its power plants.As the Defence Secretary announced on 13 October, the UK will donate AMRAAM to Ukraine, and hundreds of other air defence missiles, to help Ukraine defend itself against Russian missile strikes.

Department for Work and Pensions

Poverty: Parents

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what additional financial support they will provide to parents facing poverty,given the increased cost of living.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: The Government is committed to reducing poverty and supporting low-income families. In 2022/23 we will spend over £242 billion through the welfare system in Great Britain including £108 billion on people of working age. With 1.25 million job vacancies across the UK, our focus is firmly on supporting parents to move into, and progress in work, an approach which is based on clear evidence about the importance of parental employment - particularly where it is full-time - in substantially reducing the risks of child poverty. To help parents into work, our Plan for Jobs is providing broad ranging support for all Jobseekers with our Sector Based Work Academy Programmes (SWAP), Job Entry Targeted Support and Restart scheme. We are also extending the support Jobcentres provide to people in work and on low incomes. Through a staged roll-out, which started in April 2022, around 2.1 million low-paid benefit claimants will be eligible for support to progress into higher-paid work. To further support parents to move into and progress in work, the government provides a range of childcare offers. For more information on what childcare support may be available, we encourage parents to use the Childcare Choices website. Around 1.9 million of the most disadvantaged pupils are eligible for and claiming a free, healthy and nutritious school meal, saving families around £400 per year. In addition, around 1.25 million more infants enjoy a free meal at lunchtime following the introduction of universal infant free school meals. The National School Breakfast Provision programme (NSBP) is providing funding of up to £24 million in a two-year contract to continue our support for school breakfast provision until July 2023 supporting pupils in up to 2,500 schools that meet our criteria for levels of disadvantage. The Government is also investing £200 million a year to continue the Holiday Activities and Food Programme, which benefitted over 600,000 children last summer, and we have increased the value of the Healthy Start Scheme by a third to £4.25 a week. The government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living and has taken further decisive action to support people with their energy bills. The Energy Price Guarantee is supporting millions of households with rising energy costs, and the Chancellor made clear it will continue to do so from now until April next year. This is in addition to the over £37bn of cost of living support announced earlier this year which includes the £400 non-repayable discount to eligible households provided through the Energy Bills Support Scheme. The £37bn also includes up to £650 in cost of living Payments (paid in 2 lump sums of £326 and £324) which have targeted support at around 8 million low-income households on means-tested benefits. In addition, 6 million eligible disabled people have received a one-off disability Cost of Living Payment of £150 and pensioner households will receive a one-off payment of £300 alongside the Winter Fuel Payment from November. For those who require additional support we have provided an extension to the Household Support Fund backed by £421m, running from 1 October 2022 to 31 March 2023. The devolved administrations will receive £79 million through the Barnett formula as usual.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Pesticides: Urban Areas

Lord Hylton: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they haveto give local authorities the power to ban the use of pesticides in urban areas.

Lord Benyon: Local authorities already take decisions on the best way of delivering effective pest, weed, and disease management in their areas, including on the use of chemical pesticides in their approach. The Code of Practice for using Plant Protection Products encourages all pesticide users to follow the principles of integrated pest management (IPM) which aims to maximise the use of non-chemical control techniques and minimise the use of chemical pesticides. This has the potential to enhance biodiversity, including to benefit pollinators. Defra is working with external partners, including local authorities, to make sure that amenity users fully utilise IPM and reduce their reliance on chemical pesticides. It is a requirement that anyone who uses pesticides professionally in the amenity sector, including those contracted by local authorities, is appropriately trained to protect the public and the environment from the risks associated with pesticide use. The Pollinator Action Plan for 2021-2024, published in May 2022, encourages public authorities to minimise the risks to pollinators associated with pesticides and to provide food, shelter, nesting sites and breeding habitats on land they own or manage.

Environmental Health and Food: EU Law

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the need to retain regulations on environmental health and food safety when retained EU regulations in other areas are removed.

Lord Benyon: HM Government is committed to upholding standards on environmental health and food safety. Defra is in the process of analysing its retained EU law (REUL) stock and determining what should be preserved as part of domestic law, as well as REUL that should be repealed, or amended. This work will determine how we use the powers in the Bill and therefore inform assessments of the Bill’s impact, including in relation to the above. HMG catalogued and published the ‘retained EU law dashboard’ on 22nd June which includes REUL covering environmental health and food safety. The independent Food Standards Agency, working with Food Standards Scotland, is playing a full part in the review of all REUL within their areas of responsibility and will advise Ministers, Welsh Ministers and the Northern Ireland Executive (when operational) as appropriate. They will not compromise consumer safety or business’s ability to trade during this review.

Pesticides: Taxation

Lord Hylton: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to monitor the effects of the taxation of pesticides in Denmark and Norway.

Lord Benyon: Defra continues to monitor action on pesticide usage in other countries and learn from their experiences, including Denmark and Norway. This includes monitoring the evidence of the impacts of pesticide taxation.

Water: Pollution

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Benyon (HL2226),how much compensation was awarded to victims of water pollution following a successful conviction by the Environment Agency in each of the last five years; and how much of any such compensation was awarded to consumers.

Lord Benyon: The Environment Agency (EA) does not administer compensation schemes to those affected by pollution or to water consumers. An enforcement undertaking is a voluntary offer by an offender to put right the effects of their offending, its impact on third parties and to make sure it cannot happen again. From 2017 to 2021 (inclusive), the EA accepted 63 enforcement undertakings from the main water and sewerage companies based in England, averaging a £181,690.21 pay-out for each. The total value of these enforcement undertakings was approximately £11.5 million. Where it is not possible to fully restore any environmental damage then the offer needs to include some form of environmental benefit or improvement or compensation for damage to the natural capital, for example, money for a project to improve river quality following a water pollution incident.

Home Office

Banks: Forgery

Lord Sikka: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the letters from the Chair of the House of Commons Treasury Committee to the Financial Conduct Authority and the National Economic Crime Centre on 15 October 2020, how many banks have been (1) investigated, and (2) prosecuted, for forging customer signatures.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: The National Crime Agency has reviewed the material from the Bank Signature Forgery Campaign and is notifying relevant parties of their findings.

Anti-social Behaviour

Lord Strathcarron: To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made toensure that the recording of non-crime hate incidents is governed by a Code of Practice that is subject to parliamentary approval.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: I fully recognise the concern that surrounds the recording of non-crime hate incidents. Home Office officials are currently working with the College of Policing to ensure that the right to freedom of expression is better protected.

Criminal Conduct Authorisations

Lord Sikka: To ask His Majesty's Government how many criminal conduct authorisations for (1) state, and (2) non-state, personnel have been made under the Covert Human Intelligence Sources (Criminal Conduct) Act 2021.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: The data is not held in the requested format.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Property Development: Contracts

Lord Blencathra: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the letter from the Secretary of State for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities toLord Blencathra on 2 September, whether the Participant Developers had signed the final version of the Draft Contract by the end of September; and whether they will list all the developers that (1) had, and (2) had not, signed it.

Lord Blencathra: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the letter from the Secretary of State for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to Lord Blencathra on 2 September, whether they will now publish the final version of the Draft Contract and highlight any changes from the original version issued for consultation.

Lord Blencathra: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the letter from the Secretary of State for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to Lord Blencathra on 2 September, whether the deadline of 30 September for signature of contracts by the Participant Developers was met; and if not, (1) when they expect the contracts to be signed by all Participant Developers, and (2) what sanctions they will apply to those that fail to comply.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: As of 25 October 2022, 49 of the largest developers have signed a pledge to take responsibility for all necessary work to address life-critical, fire-safety defects on buildings 11 metres and over that they had a role in developing or refurbishing. We have published the names of the developers who have signed the pledge on (attached) gov.uk.The Government published a draft of the developer remediation contract on 13 July 2022 and has since received comments and held discussions on the draft with various parties. We are in advanced negotiations with developers and other stakeholders to finalise the contract, which will turn the commitments made in the pledge into a legally binding agreement. We are also in ongoing discussions with several developers who have not yet signed the pledge and will invite them to sign the finalised self-remediation contract. We will publish the final form of the contract as soon as possible, at which point developers will be asked to sign the contract. We also intend to publish the names of the developers who sign the contract.We have made clear that developers who fail to do the right thing face significant commercial consequences. In August, we made commencement regulations that are an important step towards giving Ministers powers to stop developers who fail to do the right thing from commencing developments for which they have planning permission and from being granted building control sign-off.List of developers (pdf, 115.4KB)

Cabinet Office

Ministerial Responsibility: Climate Change

Baroness Northover: To ask His Majesty's Government why the Minister of State for Climate will no longer be attending Cabinet.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy formally represents climate in Cabinet, ensuring it is included in any relevant policy discussions. Attendance at Cabinet is the prerogative of the Prime Minister.

King Charles III: Ceremonies

Lord Blunkett: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Neville-Rolfe on 24 October (HL2390), howmany members of the House of Lords were present at the Accession Council on the 10 September, broken down by (1) the Conservative, (2) Labour, (3) Crossbench, and (4) Liberal Democrat, benches.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The published list of attendees at the Accession Council held on 10th September 2022 is available on the Privy Council website, and can be found here. This includes both members of the House of Lords and non-members. Attendees were identified on an ex-officio basis, or by ballot, and we do not hold a separate list identifying those who were members of the House of Lords or their affiliates.The Privy Council Office does not record information relating to past or present political party memberships held by Privy Counsellors. List of those present at the Accession Council (pdf, 152.4KB)

Public Duty Costs Allowance

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask His Majesty's Government what Public Duty Cost Allowance will be paid to (1) Boris Johnson, and (2) Liz Truss, following their resignations as Prime Minister.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The Public Duty Cost Allowance is available to former Prime Ministers and is a reimbursement of incurred expenses for necessary office and secretarial costs arising from the fulfilment of public duties, up to a maximum of £115,000. The amount claimed by each recipient under the Public Duty Cost Allowance is published each year in the Cabinet Office Annual Reports and Accounts.

Public Duty Costs Allowance

Lord Sikka: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will publish a table showing the names of the recipients of the Public Duty Cost Allowance, and the amount received by each, since 2010.

Baroness Neville-Jones: The Public Duty Cost Allowance was introduced to assist former Prime Ministers still active in public life. The Public Duty Cost Allowance is a reimbursement of incurred expenses for necessary office and secretarial costs arising from fulfilling public duties to a maximum of £115,000The amount claimed by each recipient under the Public Duty Cost Allowance is published each year in the Cabinet Office Annual Reports and Accounts.

Treasury

Cost of Living

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce emergency legislation to deal with the rising cost of living.

Baroness Penn: The Government understands that people across the UK are worried about the cost of living. That is why the Government has announced £37 billion of support this financial year. The most vulnerable will receive up to £1,200, through the £400 Energy Bills Support Scheme, a £150 Council Tax rebate, and one-off £650 Cost of Living Payment for those on means-tested benefits, with additional support for pensioners and those claiming disability benefits.In addition, the Government has also taken decisive action to support households and business with rising energy costs this winter through the Energy Price Guarantee and the Energy Bill Relief Scheme. The Energy Price Guarantee limits the energy bill of an average household to £2,500 a year, saving them at least £1,000 a year based on current energy prices. The Energy Bill Relief Scheme provides support for businesses through a discount which is calculated by comparing the estimated wholesale portion of the unit price to a baseline ‘government supported price’ that is lower than currently expected winter wholesale prices. For all non-domestic energy users in Great Britain this Government supported price has been set at £211 per megawatt hour (MWh) for electricity and £75 per MWh for gas. Some of the cost of living support schemes require legislation to be enacted, including the Energy Bills Relief Scheme. Further information on each can be found on the gov.uk website.We are continuing to keep the situation under review and focus support on the most vulnerable whilst ensuring we act in a fiscally responsible way.

Energy: VAT

Lord Sikka: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to abolish VAT from domestic fuel bills.

Baroness Penn: VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption and the 20 per cent standard rate applies to most goods and services. Exceptions to the standard rate have always been limited by both legal and fiscal considerations. The Government recognises that families should not have to bear all of the VAT costs they incur to meet their needs, with domestic fuels such as gas, electricity and heating oil already subject to the reduced rate of VAT at 5 per cent of VAT. The Government's package of support to help households with their energy bills is more generous than an additional VAT cut on domestic fuel and power, and there would be no guarantee that suppliers would pass on the discounts from this relief to all customers.

Insider Trading

Lord Sikka: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will publish a table showing the names of the individuals and corporations who have been (1) prosecuted, and (2) convicted, for 'insider trading' offences since 2010; and what penalties were levied in each case.

Baroness Penn: This is a matter for the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which is operationally independent from Government. The question has been passed on to the FCA. The FCA will reply directly to the noble Lord by letter. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Mermaids

Lord Blencathra: To ask His Majesty's Government whatassessment they have made, if any, of the actions of the charity Mermaids; and what steps they intend to take as a result of any such assessment.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: Protecting people and adhering to safeguarding responsibilities should be a governance priority for all charities. It is a fundamental part of operating as a charity for the public benefit.Following concerns raised about Mermaids’ approach to safeguarding young people, the Charity Commission has opened a regulatory compliance case into the charity and has contacted its trustees. The opening of a compliance case is not itself a finding of wrongdoing.As an independent regulator, the Charity Commission carries out its functions independent of ministerial or government control. It would therefore not be appropriate to comment further whilst the Charity Commission's investigation is ongoing.

Standing Charges

Lord Goddard of Stockport: To ask His Majesty's Government what directions they intend to give Ofcom to reduce or abolish standing charges, to ease the financial burden on consumers, particularly the poorest.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: Standing charges are not a feature in the telecommunications sector. Fixed broadband and landline suppliers charge a line rental fee which are set out in the terms and conditions that customers agree to when taking out their service.We have taken steps to address the affordability concerns of people from low-income households. We have successfully negotiated with providers to introduce a range of low-cost, high-quality social tariffs for as little as £10 for people on Universal Credit and other means-tested benefits. We also secured a set of commitments from broadband and mobile providers to support people through the global rise in the cost of living. These commitments include more manageable payment plans and allowing households to switch to cheaper packages without penalty.

Wembley Stadium: Anti-social Behaviour

Lord Birt: To ask His Majesty's Government whether all of the issues of accountability identified in the report by Baroness Casey of Blackstock into the disorder at Wembley Stadium in the UEFA Euro 2020 Final, published on 3 December 2021, have been resolved; whether her recommendations for action have been implemented; and whether His Majesty's Government will publish an overview of all the measures taken by the different parties involved.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: The safety of spectators at sporting events is of the highest importance to His Majesty’s Government. We continue to work closely with all relevant authorities to ensure that football fans can continue to enjoy the sport whilst attending matches safely.This review was commissioned by, and reported to, the English Football Association, with reference made to the Government in four of the recommendations. Our approach with respect to these recommendations is outlined in our evidence to the DCMS Select Committee of the House of Commons’ Inquiry into Safety at Major Sporting Events, a copy of which I will place in the Library.The action taken by the Government includes extending football banning orders to cover offences of the selling and taking of Class A drugs at football games (under the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022), commissioning the Sports Ground Safety Authority to conduct and act on research about the stewarding capacity in the events sector, and working with numerous relevant parties on issues related to Zone Ex, with a particular focus on issues faced at Wembley. The Government is further considering its role in the oversight and co-ordination of major sporting events to inform a revision of the Gold Framework guidance on UK-level support available when bidding for and staging major sporting events.